Stranded Souls
by Audrey Rhey
Summary: During an intense battle, Levy and Gajeel are separated from the rest of the guild. Romance blossoms between the two as they and the others fight to find help on the seemingly abandoned island. Rated M for mature themes, violence, and lemons
1. Explosion

**A/N: I don't own Fairytail!**

 **Yes, I am starting a new fanfic. Don't worry, Battle Scars is far from abandoned!**

 **I promise, neither Gajeel or Levy die in this! I wouldn't do that to you... again.**

 **Enjoy my lovelies!**

* * *

The rain fell in hard sheets, obscuring the solid script mage's sight. She ran her hand along the rough side of the large rock formation, trying to find some way to shelter. Her fingernails scratched against the wet rock, making a grating sound the rain mostly muffled. A large explosion had separated the blue haired mage from the others, putting some large chunks of solid rock between them. She had made it away from the blast just in time, earning a large cut up the side of her forearm. The pain in her arm grew as she walked, sparking a hint of worry in her. Levy held the arm in front of her, trying to assess the damage, but it was no use. The rain and the dark combined making it impossible.

A second large blast sounded behind her. The flash of light from it cast her shadow in front of her. She tried to look at the path ahead in the moment of light, but the rain was still too much. A frustrated groan escaped her lips as she walked along, quickening her pace. The last blast seemed much too close for her comfort and she wasn't about to find herself back in the middle of battle.

Levy pulled her arm against her body, trying to ignore the growing pain there. Her whole sleeve was drenched in liquid that seemed much too warm and thick to be the rainwater. She took her orange headband off and wrapped it around her arm as tight as she could manage one handed. Her fingertips grazed the wound, eliciting a small cry of pain from her lips. It was even deeper than she thought.

The rock wall seemed to go on for ages. If she turned around and went the other way, maybe she would be able to get help. She might run in to some trouble, but she would probably be able to avoid it. In her current state she couldn't possibly seem like much of a threat to anybody. Another large blast rang through the air, this time much closer, effectively ending the thought of turning around. Was someone chasing her? No, that would be silly. The fight was just spreading, and rapidly at that.

Something rustled in the bushes to the mage's right, effectively paralyzing her in her place. She slowly turned around, just in time to see Gajeel lunging for her.

"Move!" He yelled, reaching her as the rock ten feet behind them exploded.

The iron dragon slayer lunged at her, effectively knocking her to the ground and covering her with his large body. A large chunk of rock blew past them, only inches from Gajeel's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, pressing her body tight against his. She barely had time to blush before he was rolling away from the wall, effectively avoiding more flying rock.

"We've gotta get out of here." Gajeel urged, pulling the short wizard to her feet. He kept hold of her delicate hand, dragging her out into the forest. Tree branches scratched against them as they weaved their way through the forest, making Levy groan in annoyance. She heard another blast, this time off in the distance.

"Gajeel." She she said, tugging on the dragon slayers arm. "I need to stop for a minute."

"Are you okay Shrimp?" He asked, pausing long enough to turn around and face her.

"Solid script, light!" She cast, the illuminated word appearing in front of her. Crimson blood had soaked through her headband, small droplets now landing on the light.

"Shit Levy." Gajeel mumbled, quickly unwrapping her arm. Now under the cover of the forest, their vision was no longer heavily obscured by the downpour. "When did this happen?"

"Earlier, before you found me." She said quietly, hoping it wasn't as bad as she thought.

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" He asked, looking down at the wound.

She blushed in response, trying to think of a good excuse.

Gajeel pulled of his black tunic, ripping a strip off to make a bandage for her arm. He closed the wound as best he could and carefully wrapped the strip around it. "This should work until we can get you to a healer." He said gruffly, ripping an extra wide strip off of his tunic to make her a sling. He tied it in a loop and gently placed it around her neck, his rough hand giving her shoulder an encouraging squeeze. The solid script mage gently placed her arm in the sling, feeling relieved.

Levy glanced up at the dragon slayer's bare, muscular chest, the blush on her cheeks deepening. "Thanks." She whispered.

"Does that feel okay?" He asked, his large hand gripping her opposite shoulder.

She nodded in response, looking down at their mud covered shoes.

"How bad was the fight when you left?" She asked sheepishly, watching the light off in the distance as thunder cracked.

"It's a disaster. It's not tactical or intelligent. The idiot is just blowing stuff up for the hell of it. He should have been easy to take out, but he doesn't even seem to have any regard for his own life so it's too dangerous to get close to him." Gajeel said, gesturing off towards the direction of the last blast.

"It sounds like they need you."

"The card mage and the sand jerk were subdued, so it's just the guy with the explosions and the two swordsmen left. I'm sure they can handle it. Besides, I needed to come make sure you were alright."

"Gajeel," Levy whispered as another blast sounded, then another. "Something doesn't seem right."

She watched as the iron dragon slayer turned in time to see a large explosion sound flash across the sky, shortly followed by a large boom. It sounded like a huge chunk of rock meeting the ground. He pulled the blue haired mage closer, pressing his body to his. "I think your right. We better get farther away."

"Are you sure you don't want to go back?" Levy asked, very aware of the man's arms around her. "You're not one to run from a fight."

"This isn't a fight, not anymore. This is something else." He said, quickly picking the bookworm up bridal style.

"Gajeel, wh- what are you doing?" She stuttered, feeling the dragon slayer's warm arms tight around her.

"We need to get away and you're hurt. I can get us out of here faster if I run." He said, quickly taking off deeper into the forest.

"My leg isn't hurt." She said in protest, wrapping her uninjured arm around his neck. Three blasts rang through the air consecutively, one after another in rapid succession. She snapped her eyes shut tight, afraid of what was happening to her friends.

"I don't take any chances, not with you Shrimp." Gajeel replied, somehow pulling her even tighter to his body as he ducked under a low hanging tree branch.

"Thanks." She mumbled into his bare chest, wondering how he could possibly be so agile while running with her in his arms. "I think they're getting closer."

"That psychopath has lost his mind. They're freaking everywhere now."

The explosion rippled through the soul of the island. A deafening sound rang out, sending pain through the ears of the two magic users. The earth under Gajeel's feet quaked, the branches of the trees he passed bending out towards the sea. He was knocked into the earth, his body covering Levy with great care as an intense blast of air blew passed them.

The solid script mage's eyes widened as she watched the night sky light up. The whole island seemed consumed, bathed in the destructive light of the blast. A single tear ran down her face as she watched the destruction. No one could survive a blast like that.

"We've gotta go." Gajeel whispered, pulling back to look at her face.

"I think that's the end of them." She replied, Gajeel gently wiping the tear away from her eye. His gentleness reminded her that this was the second time he'd been on top of her today. She was thankful the dark as she felt heat flood to her cheeks.

"Humor me then." He encouraged, pulling the two to their feet. "I'll even let you walk now, unless you want me to carry you."

"I can walk." She mumbled, forcing one foot in front of the other. This couldn't be happening.

"I know you well enough to know exactly what you're thinking." Gajeel said, tenderly wrapping his muscular arm around her shoulders. "And I know them well enough to know they would have ducked out of there before that happened. Happy would have flew Natsu off, even if the idiot didn't want it. One of Lucy's spirits would have got her out. Erza and Gray would have high tailed it out of there once they realized what was going on. Jet and Droy took off the other direction looking for you before I did. Idiots can't track worth a damn."

"Gajeel." Levy warned, casting him a small look of disapproval.

"The points the same. I'm sure everyone's fine. That guy just had some sort of damned death wish." The iron dragon slayer assured her.

"I really hope you're right."

"I am." He replied cockily.

"I think I see something." Levy said, trying to focus her vision on a large rock in the distance. It had a large hole carved into the side, resembling the mouth of a cave.

"We can stop there for the night." Gajeel suggested, his dragon slayer's vision able to see in the dark much clearer. "It's getting late and you need to rest."

"Thanks." She whispered,leaning into his arm.

* * *

Small rain drops pattered on their tired shoulders as they entered the cave. Gajeel look down at Levy, a worried look forming on his face as he noticed her arms seemed to be bleeding again. Had it ever stopped? He took a seat beside the petite solid script mage, gently taking her arm in his hands.

"You're still bleeding." He informed her, carefully removing the bandage.

"I know. I think it's deep enough to warrant stitches even if Wendy was here to heal it." She admitted, wincing as he peeled the bandage away.

"I hate to ask you this, but can you make some light so I can look at it?"

"Solid script light!" She cast, the illuminated word forming on the floor beside the pair, smaller than last time.

"I don't like the way this looks." He said, looking up into her eyes. Her face was far paler than usual, worrying him. "It's not going to heal right unless we do something. I could make a needle with my iron but we don't have anything to stitch it up with that's sterile."

"Your iron is sterile, right?" Levy asked, a hint of nervousness in her wavering voice.

"Yeah, but a needle is no good without any string, thread, whatever you use." He sighed, racking his brain for an idea of what he could to for her. Wrapping it tightly obviously wasn't an option.

"Could you make some staples?" She asked sheepishly, examining her arm with worry.

"That'll hurt pretty bad Shrimp, and leave a nasty scar." He warned, looking down at her arm. Blood tricked out of the deep cut, slower than it had before, but still to fast to be safe.

"It already hurts." She admitted. "And I don't care about a scar. There's no way it's not going to scar anyway. I'm worried it's going to get infected if we don't do something."

"Are you sure?" He asked, furrowing his brow. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was hurt her.

"Yes, please, before I chicken out." She gulped, looking away from her arm.

"We need to wash it out first." Gajeel suggested, taking a small flask from his hip pocket. "Don't worry. It's water."

"You carry water in a flask?" She asked, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Only into battle." He said, gently pouring the cool water over her arm. "Don't worry, I haven't drank out of it yet either so it won't get infected."

"Thanks Gajeel."

"You ready Levy?" He asked, tenderly using her name. He formed a small staple with very sharp ends in his fingers and held it up to her. "Does this look about right?"

"I think so." She swallowed, turning her head the other direction.

"I'm sorry if this looks bad later, I'm definitely not a doctor." He said gently, pinching her skin on each side of the gash together.

"Don't remind me." She mumbled, gasping as he pushed the little staple into her skin.

"Are you okay Shrimp?" He asked, gently caressing the side of her face. "If you need to cry, it's okay."

"I'm not going to cry." She determined, giving him a small smile. "It's actually not as bad as I imagined."

"I'm glad." He whispered, pressing another staple into the solid script mage's skin. Gajeel watched as her eyelids fluttered closed, as if she was imagining herself somewhere else.

The iron dragon slayer added another, about a centimeter down. He couldn't believe she trusted him enough to let her do this, especially after the Phantom Guild incident. Levy was a very forgiving person, and way too good for a man such as himself. He formed another staple between his rough fingertips and pressed it into her skin, his iron entering her body. It was oddly intimate to the dragon slayer.

"As soon as we get to someone who can, we need to get these out and replaced with something else." He decided, trying to decide how many more staples it would take. "You should be okay, but I don't want you to get iron poisoning."

"I'm sure it will be fine." She said, meeting the dragon slayers eyes as he pushed another staple into her skin. She winced lightly, biting her bottom lip.

"Just one more, okay?" He soothed, tenderly pulling the end of the cut together. He pressed the little metal piece against her, it's sharp tips puncturing her skin.

"Am I done?" She asked, looking down at her arm. Gajeel followed her gaze, deciding he hadn't done too bad of a job after all.

"You're done." He said, lowering his face to her arm. He wondered how the blue haired mage would react if he kissed her there. Could he help soothe her pain?

"Gajeel?" She asked, looking down at the mess of long black hair before her.

He firmly planted his lips and the base of her wrist, just below where the gash began. The dragon slayer left a trail of kisses up her forearm beside her wound, knowing she could pull away if she didn't like it. He was never this gentle, especially with someone he wanted even close to as much as he wanted Levy. "A little kiss makes everything better right?"

"R-Right." She stammered, a glorious red forming on her cheeks.

The dragon slayer smiled cockily and leaned in close to her face. His eyes met hers, a gaze neither dared break. "I'm going to kiss you now." He warned, leaning forward to place his rough lips against hers. She deepened the kiss, wrapping her good arm around his bare back to pull him in closer. As her lips parted to emit a gasp, he gently nipped her bottom lip, careful not to break the skin. His hand tangled in her blue hair, pulling her small body even closer.

"Ah!" She gasped as her injured arm was pinned between the two.

"Sorry." He said, quickly retreating in his advanced. The dragon slayer carefully looked at the mage's arm. "We should probably re-bandage this now huh?"

"Yeah." She replied breathlessly, obvious embarrassment playing across her face. "That's probably a good idea."


	2. Blackberries

**A/N: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

 **Here's a bit of GaLe fluff for your reading pleasure.**

 **Don't sit to close to the computer monitor!**

* * *

The iron dragon slayer ran his fingers through Levy's damp blue hair, gently working out any tangles. A small hum escaped her lips as she rubbed her face against his thigh, lost in her dreams. The pierced man grinned as he looked down at the woman with her head in his lap. He never thought he would get this lucky.

Levy's face was smudged with dirt from the fight, but still she was beautiful. As tired as Gajeel was quickly growing, he didn't dare sleep for fear someone unwelcome would find them. He laid his heavy head against the rough wall of the cave, trying to force himself to stay awake. Surely the sun would be rising soon and the pair would need to search for the others. Despite his earlier talk, he had to wonder if the others had actually made it out okay. The battle had been much worse than he had let on to the solid script mage. He couldn't risk worrying the shrimp, especially with her being hurt. His eyes caught sight of her bandaged arm as she shifted in her sleep. A thin red line ran down the bandage over her wound.

"Bleeding a little is better than a lot." He mumbled, running his hand down her upper arm. Her skin was soft and smooth, unmarred by battle scars or piercings. The two were definitely opposites, an odd couple, if they were a couple at all. Everything about the petite blue haired mage was a contrast to the rugged dragon slayer. They were equally matched only in determination.

A small amount of sunlight shone through the mouth of the cave, casting the lower half of the solid script mage in light. The welcome beacon of the morning signaled that the pair needed to get moving. Gajeel sighed, regretting that he would have to wake her from her peaceful slumber. He didn't know what dangers awaited them on the island, but he knew he could keep her safe, even at all costs.

"Shrimp, it's time to wake up." He gave her shoulder a light squeeze with his calloused hand. "We need to go see if we can find Wendy and the others."

"Gajeel, what are you doing here?" Levy asked sleepily, batting her eyes open in the morning light. A look of clarity played across her face as the walls of the cave came into focus. "Oh."

"Are you ready to go see if we can find the rest of the guild?" He asked, his voice still rough even at the low volume he was using.

"Yes." She said, wincing as she used her arm to push herself up.

"Are you okay?" Gajeel asked. Her arm was probably rather sore from the wound, and he couldn't help but wonder if his staples made it worse.

"I think I may need to use that sling you made again." She admitted, stretching the bandaged arm out. "It's pretty sore today."

"I'm sorry if I made it worse Shrimp." Gajeel said, gently slipping the sling over her neck.

"If you're sorry stop calling me Shrimp." She suggested, wincing as he slipped her arm into the sling. "But no, I think you actually helped it a lot. I'm not worried about it not healing together right now."

"Good. I can't have you seriously injured, now can I Shrimp?" He asked playfully as he stood up. His words put a light blush on the mage's cheeks that made him chuckle.

"Did you sleep last night?" Levy asked, concern spreading across her face as she took a good look at the dragon slayer.

"I was too worried about you." He admitted, gently cupping her face. He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You're mine now."

The blood-flow to Levy's cheeks increased as the words hit her ears. She had never considered that Gajeel would end up feeling the same way about her as she felt about him.

"You have to keep your strength up. What if we get into a fight and you're to tired to protect me?" She asked, knowing just how to rile up the protective sense inside him. Something about hearing him be possessive over her made her heart race.

"I could never be too tired to fight for you Shorty." He assured her, lightly patting her head.

"Let me make you some iron to eat." She suggested, looking up at him carefully. "That way you won't be running around exhausted all day."

"If you weren't hurt, I would take you up on that offer." He sighed, a large grumble coming from his stomach at the thought of a little snack.

"I'm fine." She assured him, taking a step back. "I always feel better after a good night's sleep and I just had the best pillow I've had in years."

"Even sleeping on the floor of a dirty cave?" Gajeel asked, teasing her into looking away.

"You make me feel... comfortable." She said softly. Even as a wizard whose magic depended on words, the dragon slayer sometimes made her struggle to find them.

"I'm glad to hear it." He replied, the sun finally rising to the point where it cast the whole interior of the cage in light.

"Solid script iron!" She cast, the large shining word landing at the dragon slayer's feet. The heart cut out of the O seemed larger than last time, to the point where it was obvious.

Gajeel cocked a metal eyebrow at her, a wicked grin forming on his lips. "See? I knew you liked me." He stated, taking a bite out of the metal chunk.

"What was your first clue?" She asked, watching him eat her magic. He had her iron, and she had his.

"The first heart you made for me." He admitted, quickly finishing off the iron.

"Why only make a move on me last night then?" She asked smoothly, shifting her injured arm into a more comfortable position.

"I don't know if you realize this Shorty, but we're not exactly a matched pair." He said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You're smart, I'm not. I'm a big rough guy, and you're a shrimp. I'm a complete asshole, and you're the sweetest thing to walk this earth. Why would you be interested in a guy like me?

"Well, you're not a complete asshole." She countered, wrapping her hand around his muscular forearm. "And I've kind of always had a thing for the bad boys."

"Glad to hear it." Gajeel said, pulling the solid script mage close to him. He stared down into her brown eyes. "Because I have a thing for bookworm shrimp."

"By the way Gajeel, don't say you're not smart. I know better." She whispered softly, running her hand up his chest.

"You're right." He sighed, planting a small kiss on the top of her head. "But that doesn't mean the rest of the guild doesn't think so. I had a very different upbringing from the rest of you, besides maybe Natsu. I have the intelligence, the capability to learn, but I was never taught much."

"You're way too smart for someone who swears he was never taught."

"Most of what I know I learned on my own, later. Metalicana never saw a reason to teach me anything other than my dragon slayer magic, aside from a few basics." The iron dragon slayer's face fell as he remembered his foster father. "Not that I'm not grateful for that."

"Is it hard?" She asked, watching his face for a change of expression.

"Let's just go look for the others now." He suggested, now wanting to her to delve further into the subject.

"Right." Levy nodded, staring out the mouth of the cave. Despite the trees she knew were overhead, it seemed rather sunny outside.

"Need me to carry you again shrimp?" Gajeel asked, looking her over carefully.

"I'm sure I'll be fine." She assured him, stepping out of the cave. She felt a heavy hand on her shoulder from behind.

"If you need to stop and rest, just let me know. Hopefully we can find you something to eat pretty soon. You already fed me, after all."

"It's alright." She said softly. "I don't actually usually eat much of a breakfast."

"Normally, I wouldn't argue with you, but you're injured and I'm pretty sure you lost a bit too much blood to be healthy. There's gotta be some berries or somethin' somewhere on this stupid island, right?"

"Probably, or maybe some nuts or something. Don't worry about me. I'm sure it won't take long to find something for me to eat." She said as they walked away from the cave. Vines curled on the forest floor beneath their feet, keeping them from going as fast as she had hoped. "But you've got to eat too. You can't survive on iron alone after all."

Gajeel laughed in response, lifting a tree branch in front of her so she could walk through easily.

"Can you?" She asked, turning around to shoot him a curious look.

"I can't say that's something I've ever tried." He admitted. "Iron may be tasty, but variety is the spice of life."

"Fair enough." The blue haired mage shrugged, wincing as her arm shifted.

Gajeel let out a long drawn out sigh. "Hopefully we find Wendy first. You're arm is still worrying me."

"You worry an awful lot for someone who is supposed to be a 'bad boy." She said, making quotation marks in the air with the hand on her uninjured arm.

"Just because I'm a badass, doesn't mean I don't have a heart." He said, letting out a little chuckle. "It just takes a special key to unlock."

"Very poetic." Levy smiled, thankful that the dragon slayer couldn't see her face. "A special key to an iron heart."

"Are you making fun of me?" He asked teasingly, picking the small mage up and over a large log before she had a chance to protest.

"Of course not." She assured him, a tone of annoyance leaking into her voice. "I always knew you were an excellent lyricist after all. That requires some level of poetic skill."

The iron dragon slayer leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Maybe my next song will be about you."

"Don't tease me." She mumbled, her cheeks growing hot with his warm breath on her neck.

"I think you'd like that actually." He replied in a voice dripping with seduction.

The solid script mage paused as she felt his hand on her once again, this time gently trailing its way up her arm. Levy held her breath, trying to calm her nerves. Despite the kisses the two had shared in the past twelve hours, the thought of him teasing her heart flutter.

"I think I see a berry bush up ahead." She said softly, gesturing in front of the pair.

"Maybe later then Shrimp." He said, passing her to examine the bush ahead of them. "Do these look like the type you can eat?"

"They're blackberries from the looks of them." Levy replied, letting out the breath she'd been holding.

"I'm going to go ahead and eat one first, to make sure, okay?" He said, pupping one of the deep purple berries into his mouth. He swallowed it in a rush, a small smile spreading across his face. "It tastes like a blackberry. Eat up, Shorty."

"Thanks Gajeel." She smiled sweetly, reaching forward to grab a berry.

"You know, you're not going to be able to be shy around me forever." He stated, gathering a handful of berries without eating them. "I've got a thing for you, and I want us to be a thing. I know we didn't meet on the best of terms, and I'm willing to spend the rest of my life trying to make that up to you. There's nothing in this world that I am more sorry about than that."

"Gajeel-"

"No, I'm not done. I want to be with you, Shrimp. There isn't anything I want more than that, and I think you feel at least close to the same way. As much as I want it to, none of this is going to work if you're still afraid of me. What can I do to make you less afraid of me?"

"I'm not afraid of you." She blushed, letting her eyes drift from the blackberry bush up to the dragon slayer. "I'm just nervous. All of this is new to me, okay? I've never had someone make me feel the way you do."

"How do I make you feel?" He asked, making eye contact with her.

"It's hard to put into words." She mumbled, dropping her gaze to the ground below her. The right words for the way he made her feel didn't exist. The way she felt around him was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. It was like something from one of Lucy's romance novels, but stronger.

"You're amazing with words Levy." He said, using her name for the second time since the pair met. "Why can't you tell me, am I too intimidating? I mean to be intimidating to everyone but you. How can I be less intimidating."

"Well," She sighed. "You are intimidating, but that's not it exactly."

"Then what is it?" He asked taking a step towards her. "I promise I'm not gonna laugh if that's what you're worried about. You can talk to me, I promise."

"You make me feel different, lighter, like my head is buzzing. Just play it off to the nervousness of a new relationship." She said, hoping the answer would satisfy the dragon slayer.

"Is that what this is?" He asked, his voice softer than the bookworm had ever heard it. What a quick change a simple word could create in him. "A relationship?"

"If that's okay with you." She mumbled. Maybe she was taking things faster than he expected.

"It's perfect." He replied, gently grabbing her hand. "You're my girlfriend now Shorty."

"Then call me Levy." She suggested, watching as he plucked one of the berries from his handful.

"Maybe once in a while," He said, popping one of the berries into her mouth. "Shrimp."


	3. On the Beach

**A/N: I don't own Fairy Tail!**

 **This quickly switches back to Gajeel's/Levy's pov, so don't be alarmed. =]**

Waves rolled along the edge of the beach, spraying the sand with salty water. Seagulls flew overhead, filling the sky with their squawking chatter. The sand felt warm against Lucy's back. The celestial wizard's eyes fluttered open as she struggled to remember exactly how she had gotten there. She sat up, brushing the sand off of her arms, her body protesting in pain. The blonde wizard ached from the balls of her feet all the way up to her neck.

"What happened?" She mumbled, scanning the horizon for signs of life. The last thing that she could recall was Natsu yelling for her to run. He had to be nearby.

"Lucy!" She heard the familiar voice call from the trees behind her. Happy flew towards her at top speed, nearly knocking her back into the sticky sand.

"Hey cat." She said, forcing him off her as gently as possible. "What happened?"

"Have you seen Natsu? I can't find him anywhere and I've looked everywhere." Happy whined, collapsing in the sand.

"I figured he was with you." She admitted, turning to look at the trees away from the beach. Most of the island was covered in forest. It would be more than difficult for them to search the whole thing.

"This is the worst thing that's ever happened." The blue exceed sobbed dramatically, banging his little paws into the sand.

"Calm down. I'm sure he's around somewhere." Lucy assured him, unable to help feeling sorry for the poor thing. As inseparable as the pair were, she wondered why he wasn't with the exceed. "When's the last time you saw him?"

"The big explosion." Happy replied, stopping his fit long enough to answer. Memories of the previous night flashed through the celestial mage's mind. It had been awful, complete destruction encompassing a large are. The last thing she remembered was the pink haired wizard yelling for her to run before turning back to the chaos. She had been too afraid to do anything but obey. There had been a kind of fire in his eyes that Lucy had never seen before, even from the fire dragon slayer.

"Do you know if the others are okay?" Lucy asked, forcing herself to her feet. She had to go look for Natsu. Knowing him, he'd likely gotten himself into some sort of trouble. The least she could do was find him.

"I haven't seen anyone. I think we all got separated. I tried to stay with Natsu and fly him out but he wouldn't let me. He said he had to fix something and took off running towards it." The blue cat sniffled. "You don't think he's dead do you?"

"He's probably out there looking for us." Lucy decided, gesturing towards the trees. Even if he had gotten hurt, Natsu wouldn't stop until he found his teammates. Lucy knew that for certain.

"I hope Carla's okay." Happy said, leaping into the air. He thought a moment and added, "And everyone else too. Do you know if anyone is okay?"

"You're the first person, er, Fairy Tail member I've seen since the explosion. Right before it happened, I think I saw Erza in the middle of it, fighting with the maniac. She was trying to calm him down I think." Lucy focused, trying to remember exactly what had happened. Everything was a bit fuzzy. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd hit her head on something to cause her memory loss. The celestial wizard couldn't even remember how she had ended up on the beach.

"That's the great Erza for yah." Happy decided, looking longingly at the trees.

"Really, cat?" Lucy asked, shaking her head. "Will you come with me to look for them?"

"Aye sir!" He responded enthusiastically.

"Don't call me sir you stupid cat!" The blonde wizard yelled, glaring at the exceed.

"Oh, Aye... ma'am?"

* * *

The air was thick with humidity as Gajeel and Levy made their way through the trees. The iron dragon slayer inhaled deeply, the scent of salt and seaweed filling his nose. That was no good, they needed fresh water. Levy could always write some if they were desperate, but Gajeel still felt guilty for the iron she had made him earlier in the day. He turned to look at the solid script mage, laughing his signature laugh as he noticed how the humidity had affected her hair.

"It's not funny Gajeel." She scowled, turning her face away from the dragon slayer.

"You're cute when you're mad." He teased, gently laying his hand on the blue haired wizards shoulder. "Are you holding up okay Shrimp?"

"I'm fine." She assured him, turning her head to catch his eye. "Do you think we'll find the others soon?"

"I don't know, but we're getting close to the beach." He noted, the scent in the air growing stronger.

"How can you tell?" She asked. The petite mage stumbled over a rock, falling forward. The dragon slayer lunged forward to grab her in time, a worried look playing across his face.

"Are you sure you don't need another break Shorty? We've been walking for hours. You've got to be tired." He questioned, giving Levy a serious look.

"I'm fine. My coordination just isn't the best right now." She sighed, wriggling out of her boyfriend's arms. "But you didn't answer my question."

"Oh. I can smell it in the air. Plus I think I hear seagulls." he said, his eyes narrowing as he listened closely.

"I think you're right Gajeel." she said softly, looking around carefully. "I think the trees may be getting thinner as well."

"We'll take a break as soon as we get out of the trees okay?" It wasn't a question as much as a statement. Even if she said she wasn't, Gajeel knew that all this walking had to be hard on her with how much blood she had last the night before. He had to hand it to her though, they were evenly matched in stubbornness if nothing else. The black haired wizard smiled at the thought.

"We can take a break now if you need to." She suggested. Was she teasing him or trying to get a break without asking for one?

"Do you want to stop or not?"

"No," She paused, catching the dragon slayer's eyes with her own. "I think I can smell the ocean now too."

"We must be real close then. Want me to carry you the rest of the way?" He offered, sliding his arm around her petite waist.

"No. I'm fine. Wait-" She protested as the dragon slayer picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "This isn't necessary."

"You're right. Gi hi hi hi." He laughed, quickening his pace as he carried her towards the edge of the trees. She squirmed in his arms, pounding on his back with a closed fist in an attempt to make him put her down."It's just fun."

"Gajeel, stop." She insisted, struggling to pull her arm free of it's sling.

"Oh relax and let me have a little fun. I promise I'm not going to hurt you. Just enjoy the ride." He suggested, a wicked grin growing on his face.

"Fine." She huffed, relaxing as much as she could for being thrown over someone's shoulder.

"We're almost there. I can hear the waves now Levy." He said as softly as he could manage. The blue haired wizard seemed to relax at the mention of her name. Gajeel made a mental note that saying it seemed to calm her down.

"I hear them too." She agreed, stretching her neck around to see where they were going.

The iron dragon slayer cleared the trees, slowing as he felt the ground change below him. The soft brown sand went all the way up to the edge of the trees. He gently slid the solid script mage down the front of his body, careful not to let her arm catch. The waves crashed onto the beach gently, wetting the sand several feet in.

"This is actually beautiful." Levy decided, grabbing Gajeel's upper arm for balance. She lifted her legs one by one, untying her sandals so that there was nothing between her and the beach.

"Not as beautiful as you." He said smoothly, slipping off his own rather large boots.

"You have cute feet." Levy noted, looking her boyfriend over carefully. For what she imagined the first time in his life, his face reddened.

"Don't say that." He urged defensively, quickly burying his toes in the sand. "Don't ever say I'm cute."

"Well," She decided, trying not to laugh. "If I say your feet are handsome that just sounds weird, and if I say they're sexy it sounds like I have a foot fetish."

"Do you?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. She felt blood rush to her face to match his.

"No!" She yelled defensively. "I mean, I like feet. Just, not in a weird way."

"Relax Shrimp, I'm only teasing yah." He laughed, taking a step towards her. "So foot massages are okay with you then?"

"Sure." She offered him a smile, taking a seat against the edge of the trees. Feeling bold, she patted the ground next to her. "Sit down. I'll give you one."

The dragon slayer chuckled, stretching out at Levy's feet. He gently grabbed one of them and placed it in his lap. "I hope you're not ticklish."

"I'm not." She said, a small moan escaping her lips as he started rubbing the arch of her foot with his thumb. Levy let her eyes close as she enjoyed the sensation. The petite wizard hadn't even noticed her feet hurt until they stopped.

"Feels that good, huh?" He asked, smirking at his girlfriend's facial expression.

"Yes." She admitted, opening her eyes. "But I think I offered you a foot massage."

"Relax. It's been a long day." He suggested, rubbing her heel in hard little circles as e eyed her arm. Giving a foot massage was likely the last thing he needed to do with it. "My feet probably stink. Maybe you can after we take a dip."

"A dip?" Levy asked as Gajeel switched feet. She already felt a lot better, a nice swim couldn't possibly make her feel any worse.

"You know, in the ocean." He nodded out to the waves crashing in. The temperature was dropping rapidly as the sun lowered in the sky.

She looked down at her arm and frowned. "I'm not sure if I should get my arm wet."

"We can at least stick our feet in, right?" He asked, working up her ankle. Levy was surprised he actually knew what he was doing.

"That sounds great." She sighed, letting her head fall back against the tree. Despite their current situation, she couldn't remember the last time she felt so relaxed.

"Let me look at your arm." He said, gently placing her feet back onto the sand. "Is it hurting bad?"

"Not really." She shrugged, trying not to wince as she shifted her arm. The more she acknowledged it, the sorer it got.

"You're a bad liar." He growled softly, lifting the sling off of her neck. He gently unwrapped her bandages, taking special care not to snag them anywhere. The solid script mage flinched as he pulled it off, a bit of dried blood going with it.

"Does it look kind of red to you?" Levy asked, looking down at her swollen arm. The gash was pulled together and seemed to have healed a bit, but it didn't look quite right. It's edges were a furious red that didn't look good. "Redder than it should be I mean."

"Hmm..." The dragon slayer mumbled, running his fingers along the edge of the cut. Levy could hear him grinding his teeth in thought. "It feels really hot. I think it might be infected."

"Well, crap." She laughed dryly,knowing purely from the look of it. The dragon slayer gently pressed on the edge of the wound, making pus ooze out of it.

"S- sorry." He stumbled over his words, surprised. "Can you make a fire?"

"Sure." She replied, trying to avoid looking at her arm.

"I'm going to go make a bowl and get some water from the ocean. We need to boil it so we can soak your arm in it. Salt water draws out infection, right?"

"That should work." Levy nodded enthusiastically. The dragon slayer was creative if nothing else.

"Don't worry Levy," He offered, lowering his voice. "I don't think it's actually too bad. I just don't want to let it get any worse in case it's a while before we can find Wendy."

"I appreciate it." She said, releasing the breath she'd been holding. "Can you get me some wood? I can make a fire but it won't last any time at all unless there's something for it to actually burn."

"Once step ahead of you." Gajeel called from the trees behind her. She hadn't even seen him go back there. He quickly dropped a few logs in front of her. "I'm sorry I'm no good at making fires. I hate to make you use your magic when you're hurt."

"Don't mention it Gajeel." She smiled at him softly. "My magic doesn't take a ton of energy unless I'm actually in combat."

"That's good to know." He nodded, forming a small iron pot in his hands. "I'm going to go fill this up. Will you be okay?"

"You're going about a hundred feet away. I'll be fine, I promise." She laughed lightly, holding her arms out in front of her. The dragon slayer planted a small kiss on her forehead before turning to the ocean.

"Solid script, fire." Levy cast, the fiery word forming in the air above the logs. It quickly crashed into them, losing its form almost instantly. She looked up to see Gajeel standing above her, water sloshing out of the iron bowl in his hands. "That was fast."

"I didn't want to leave you for too long Shorty." He said, placing the iron bowl on the flames.

"You were literally a hundred feet away. Nothing could have possibly happened, especially with reflexes like yours. I still remember when you saved me from Laxus's lightning. That was almost instantaneous."

"Yeah, well we don't know what kind of animals are on this island and I would hate for you to have to defend yourself while you're hurt."

The blue haired mage sighed softly, offering him a smile. "You're ridiculous sometimes."

"You're getting brave." He teased, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Get used to it." She replied, covering her mouth in a yawn.

"You should take a nap while the water boils." He suggested, gently lacing his fingers in hers. The difference between them was almost comical.

"I'm fine." She argued, already ready to give up and fall asleep.

"Come on." He said softly, patting his thigh. "You can use my lap as a pillow again."

"If you're sure." She mumbled, laying her head on him.

"You give up easy." He laughed, threading his fingers in her messy blue hair.

"I'm exhausted." She sighed contently. "You should sleep too. I know you were up all night."

"As soon as we get your arm taken care of, I promise I'll be out cold. For now, sleep."

"Yes sir." She whispered, falling asleep in his lap.

* * *

 **A/N: Alright lovelies, the only pairing in this fic that is set in stone is Gajeel x Levy. (And most of the story will be from their points of view)**

 **You tell me who you'd like to see paired together! I love crack ships and normal fluffy ships.**

 **The only thing I will not do in this story is Gruvia, so let me know what you want!**

 **I'll likely go with whatever is most wanted.**

 **Thanks again for reading.**

 **You guys are the best!**

.


	4. In the Cellar

**A/N: I don't own Fairy Tail.**

Gajeel walked along the edge of the trees as the sun rose in the sky. Levy was asleep at the end of the sand behind him, soft snores escaping her. The iron dragon slayer chuckled to himself at the sound. Even the shrimp's snores were cute. He would have to tease her about it when she woke. Gajeel examined the area carefully, wondering if he would be able to find some sort of fruit for his girlfriend to eat. He could always make a spear out of his iron and catch her some fish, but she seemed to have a bit of a sweet tooth. The least he could do was find her something sweet, maybe a coconut. Islands always had coconuts.

The pierced wizard cursed himself for suggesting his exceed stay behind for this mission. Even if he had still been recovering from an injury, he would have been able to fly up and spot things for him. Happy and Carla had tagged along. Surely one of them would be able to round up the group, unless... He shook the thought from his mind. If he thought about such things, the shrimp would be sure to catch on and get upset.

Gajeel turned into a small break in the trees where the beach went up nearly twice as far. If nothing else, it would make a convenient place for the pair to stay. The sand underneath his bare feet changed, creating a hollow sound as he stepped. A look of confusion played across the dragon slayer's face as he looked down. He kneeled down, brushing the sand away with his large rough hands. It was a wooden door with a large silver padlock.

He fumbled with the lock for a moment, before leaning down and biting it off. Eating iron had its perks. Gajeel slowly lifted the door up, sand pouring off of it into the dark square hole. It was just barely big enough to fit someone of Gajeel's broad stature, but Levy would have no problems entering it. No, Gajeel decided. She wasn't going anywhere near it until he knew for sure it was safe. He released the door, letting it fall closed. He would need some sort of light to be able to make sure it was safe.

The dragon slayer walked back to where Levy was laying and took a seat beside her. The cute little snores escaping her mouth sparked something inside him. Protectiveness? No, something more than that, something deeper. He gently brushed her blue hair out of her face, noting that she'd gotten a bit sunburned. She would need some sort of cover to keep out of the sun so her burn didn't get worse.

"Good morning." Her voice came with a yawn as she looked up at him.

"Good morning." He replied, his gruff voice soft. Gajeel leaned down and planted a firm kiss on her forehead.

"You're up early for someone who hasn't had much sleep." She pointed out, sitting up.

"I don't need a lot of sleep." He assured her. "How's your arm today?"

"It's really sore." She confessed, unwrapping the bandages covering it. "But it doesn't feel as warm. I don't hurt every where any more."

"I didn't know you were hurting everywhere." Gajeel replied cooly, trying not to be annoyed with her. Of course she would keep it from him to keep him from worrying.

"It happens anytime I have a fever." Levy admitted, staring at her arm with a satisfied look. "It doesn't look infected to me."

"Thank Gods." Gajeel mumbled, gently grabbing her arm to examine it closer. "This looks a lot better actually. Maybe we should take the staples out."

"Let's give it one more day." Levy decided, making eye contact with him. "Or until we find Wendy. I just don't want to do it too soon."

"That reminds me. Can you make me a little light? I think I found something."

"Sure." She said, forming the small word in her hands. She gently handed it to him, wincing as she stretched out her arm.

"Don't overdo it Shrimp."

"I'm not. What did you find, anyway?" She asked, slowly re-wrapping her arm.

"Let me help you with that." Gajeel said, taking the bandage from her and gently winding it around her. "I think I found some sort of cellar."

"On the beach?" Levy asked, a puzzled expression crossing her face.

"Yeah, well, mostly. Down a ways the tree line moves back and there's a little clearing. It was covered in sand but I found a little trap door."

"Sounds like an adventure." Levy teased, slipping her arm back into the sling.

"I'll show you where it's at, but I wanna go down first and make sure it's safe. It was locked, but I bit the lock off so we can get in."

"Isn't that breaking and entering?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow at the dragon slayer.

"Maybe." He shrugged, standing up. "I don't think it matters at this point. If someone's going to come arrest me, that just means we've been rescued anyway."

"Fair enough." The solid script mage replied, grabbing Gajeel's arm to pull herself to her feet. "What do you think is down there?"

"I don't know. I couldn't smell anything but a musty smell. I don't think anyone's been down there for a while."

"Maybe it flooded." She suggested, grabbing the light off the ground where her boyfriend had discarded it.

"Nah." He shook his head, taking the light from her. "It's too far inland I think."

"Maybe it's an underground beach house." Levy laughed, the chime of her voice lightening the dragon slayer's mood.

"Shall we Shorty?" He asked, extending his hand to her.

She nodded in response, lacing his large fingers in hers. The last place she imagined herself falling for the dragon slayer was in the middle of a failed mission. She had to admit though, the island setting was rather romantic.

"It's right over here." Gajeel said, pulling her into the small clearing. Condensation covered grass had grown in patches up through the sand, cooling her tired feet.

"It is a cellar." She said, watching as he lifted the door.

"I'm going to climb down here real quick and look around. Don't do anything or go anywhere until I get back, okay? I'll only be a minute." He ordered, looking her dead in the eye.

"Don't worry Gajeel, I'm not going anywhere." She sighed, looking down into the cellar.

"Good. Like I told you at the S Class trials, it's hard looking for someone so small."

"Did you have something for me then too?" Levy asked, feeling rather bold.

"I've always had something for you." He admitted, offering her a small smile. "At least almost always, after... Well, you know. Since I joined Fairy Tail."

"I forgave you for that a long time ago, Gajeel." She said softly, reaching out and caressing the side of his face. "Forget it ever happened."

"I can't." He sighed, looking away from her. He placed his large hand over a certain spot on her stomach. "I haven't seen it, but I know there's no way it didn't scar. I'll never forgive myself for what I did to you."

"Gajeel." she sighed, letting her hand drop away from him. It was something she rarely thought about, such a faint mark she barely acknowledged it. She placed her hand on top of his and gave it a light squeeze. "If I forgave you, you should forgive yourself. All you're going to do hating yourself for it is hold us back, and I know you don't want that."

"You're too forgiving."

"Maybe." She agreed, watching him carefully. "But you saved me two days ago, and that makes up for it anyway, so suck it up and get over it."

He caught her gaze, mildly amused at her boldness. Gajeel had watched her from a distance for a long time before they became friends. She was never shy or nervous, but rather outgoing. The only person she seemed to act anxious around was him. Something he assumed was because of what he'd done to her. The fact that she was giving him orders made him hopeful that she really was getting over it.

"Are you going to look in the cellar or not?" She asked impatiently, refusing to break his stare.

"Yes ma'am." He nodded, a devilish grin playing across his face.

He slipped into the opening, noticing a ladder to his right. Grasping the light in one hand, he climbed down. The walls were concrete painted white, which seemed to help reflect the light. He made his way down farther, carefully grasping the ladder rungs. How far down did the cellar go? The dragon slayer set foot on something solid. More concrete, he decided as he turned around to face the room before him.

It was larger than he expected, a large set of shelves lining the entire wall to his left. There were a few books near the top, something his girlfriend was sure to appreciate. Most of the shelves were lined with canned goods. As long as they were still good they'd have something to eat other than fish. In the back there were several bunks, six in total, hanging from the wall. He couldn't help but notice they looked a lot like prison beds, except for the fact that the lower bunks were nearly twice the size of the upper ones.

To his right there were several large trunks sitting on the floor. Each one was decorated differently, as though each was for a specific individual. Still, they seemed rather old. This was likely some sort of bomb shelter years ago, when the war was going on. No one would need these things now. His mind jumped back to the insane mage they'd been battling nights before. Maybe this shelter was designed to protect it's inhabitants for him.

"Nah." The dragon slayer said under his breath. That guy had been fairly young. This cellar probably predated him by at least a few years.

"Gajeel?" He heard the Shorty's voice call from above.

"I'll be right up." Gajeel called to her, setting the light on the table. As a dragon slayer he could see well enough to get up the ladder without the light.

He popped his head out of the cellar and smiled at the solid script mage. "Come down behind me, I think you're going to like this."

"Okay." She said, shooting him a curious look as she started own the ladder.

"Don't worry." He assured her, wrapping his large arm around her waist. "I won't let you fall."

"I trust you." She said simply, words that meant so much more to him than she realized.

He placed a soft kiss on the small of her back through her dress, eliciting a small giggle from her.

"Stop Gajeel, I'm trying to climb down." She warned, but he could hear the smile in her voice.

"But you're so damn tempting." He replied, tightening his arm around her.

"Gajeel."

"Almost there." The pierced wizard warned, stepping down onto the concrete.

"I should have made a bigger light." She mumbled, turning around to face the room. "Wow, this looks like a bomb shelter."

"That's what I thought." He said, gesturing towards the far wall. "At least we'll have a bit softer place to sleep now."

"That doesn't look that soft." She said, frowning. "At least not as soft as sleeping with my head in your lap."

"I'm sure we can arrange something." He chuckled, taking a seat at the table. The chair creaked under him, but it seemed sturdy enough.

"There's canned goods too." Levy noted, removing a can of what looked like peaches from the shelf.

"They're probably no good now." Gajeel shrugged, brushing some of the dust off the table. The amount of dust in the room was messing with his nose.

"They're probably still good." Levy assured him, carefully examining the can for a date. "We'll cook them well to be sure, but stuff like this doesn't really expire. It just changes texture and doesn't taste as good."

"Isn't that what expired means?" He teased, cocking a pierced eyebrow at her.

"We can eat fish too." She shrugged, walking over to the trunks lining the wall. They were covered in dust, but unlocked. The solid script mage lifted the lid of the purple trunk, a smile playing across her face. "I think I found some new clothes."

"Oh yeah?" Gajeel asked, turning to see what she had found.

"Look." She said, holding up a red and white stripped bikini that appeared to be just her size.

"Let's go swimming." He suggested, picturing her in such a skimpy outfit. "Now."

"Can't I eat breakfast first?" She asked, pretending to pout.

"First breakfast, then swimming." He nodded, unable to take his eyes off her.

"But I have to wait an hour after eating." The blue haired beauty teased, laying the bikini top across the front where it would go. "Turn around, I want to try this on."

"Uh- sure." He said, the words nearly catching in his throat.

The solid script mage freed her arm from the sling and carefully slipped out of her dirty clothes. She instantly felt better as they hit the floor. Levy cocked an eyebrow as she heard the iron dragon slayer mumble something. "What was that?"

"Nothing." Gajeel assured her, forcing himself to remain facing away.

Levy slipped into the bikini bottoms with ease. She held the bikini top to the front, but let out a disgruntled sigh as she realized she wasn't going to be able to tie it. There was no way she could reach her arm around without injuring her arm worse.

"Everything okay?" He called back to her, hoping she hadn't hurt her arm trying to get dressed.

"Actually, can you help me tie this?" She asked, taking a step towards her.

"Of course." The dragon slayer replied, turning to face her. He took in her appearance in the dim light, scanning her from head to toe, pausing briefly at the nearly faded brand mark on her stomach.

"Gajeel?" She asked, pressing the bikini top to her front.

"Sorry." He said, standing up. Gajeel walked up to her and grabbed the ends of the back tie. The dark haired wizard reached around her, wrapping her in a hug as he tied the back. There was only one layer of thin cloth between his chest and hers. Would she need his help to undress as well? He heard a small sigh escape her lips. She had to be enjoying this as much as he was. The dragon slayer slid his rough hands up her back gently and grabbed the strings that went around the back of her neck. He bit his lower lip in concentration as he tied them, trying to get them perfect.

"Thanks." She said softly as he pulled away.

"You look amazing." He confessed, making her blush furiously. "Are you sure you don't want to take a quick dip before breakfast?"

"Fine." She caved, smiling at him. "But you have to catch me fish for breakfast."

"Consider it done." He said eagerly, removing the iron studded finger-less gloves.


	5. A Dragon's Mate

**A/N: I don't own Fairy Tail!  
LEMON AHEAD! My two lovelies are finally hooking up. *Squee!***

* * *

Gray sighed as he saw the beach off in the distance. The ice mage had walked from one side of the island to the other without finding anyone but the blue haired mage who was clinging to his arm like a child. He glanced over to her, seeing the look of weariness play across her dirt smudged face. The pair had gone several days with nothing to eat but berries and the few fish they had managed to catch. As ice and water mages, neither of them were very good at starting a fire. In fact, they'd only been able to accomplish it once. Other than that, they'd been pretending it was sushi, something that turned Gray's stomach.

"Gray-sama, would you like to take a break?" The water mage asked, her large blue eyes staring up at the raven haired wizard. "Juvia is getting tired."

"How about we go cool off in the ocean instead." Gray suggested, feeling his shoulders burn from the sun. "Let's just take a dip."

"A dip?" Juvia asked, her eyes lighting up.

 _Gray-sama wanted to go skinny dipping with Juvia! Surely that would lead to something more. The ice mage slowly pulled off her shirt, leaving nothing to the imagination._

 _"You're so beautiful my Juvia." He said, pulling her into the water behind him. The rain woman shivered with excitement as he kissed her hand._

 _"Gray-sama." She blushed as he pulled her against his body. Finally, he had made his move._

 _"Juvia, I don't know what's taken so long. Will you finally be mine?" He pulled a large ring out of nowhere. "Forever?"_

"Yes Gray-sama!" Juvia shrieked, tugging on his arm.

"What the hell is going on in your head woman?" Gray asked, shaking her off. "We're both hot and dirty. We need to wash off in the ocean. No offense, but you smell."

"Gray-sama thinks Juvia smells?" She asked, tears forming at the edge of her eyes.

"Well, yeah. We've been wondering around a over-heated island for days. I would be amazed if you didn't smell. I'm sure I do too." He said, taking a few steps towards the beach.

"So, Gray-sama doesn't mind?"

"Just go wash off woman." He sighed, pulling off what was left of his clothes, which wasn't much. Most of his missions involved bringing several sets of clothes. After all the explosions, all of their things had been lost. Thankfully Juvia had a knack for finding Gray's clothes as soon he ripped them off. As annoying as she was, without her he would have likely been naked. "You go over there, and I'll go over here."

"So we are skinny dipping?" She asked, her eyes falling on a certain part of the ice mage's body.

"Eyes up here woman." Gray scoffed. "You go over there, and I'll go over here. Don't come anywhere near me, understand?"

Juvia frowned. "Why does Gray-sama have to be so cruel?"

"I'm not interested." He groaned in frustration. There was no doubt in his mind that the fact would never sink into her mind.

* * *

Levy leaned into the dragon slayer's embrace, kissing him deeply as the small waves crashed around their bodies. He wrapped his arms around her, gently nipping her lower lip. She returned his hug, careful not to bump the staples in her injured arm. A small moan escaped her mouth as she felt his tongue flick over her teeth. Was his tongue pierced too? The idea of what he could do with that made her flustered.

Gajeel broke away from the kiss, pulling back to look into the petite mage's gorgeous eyes. "You look stressed." He informed her, running his rough hand down the outside of her thigh. "Why don't you let me take care of that for you?"

"Gajeel." She gasped, holding him tighter as he moved the hand around to the other side of her leg. "How could I feel stressed with you around."

"That's awfully sappy Shrimp." He grinned devilishly, running his hand higher. "Especially considering how nervous you've been around me all of this time."

"Not in the water." The solid script mage whispered as she felt the dragon slayer's fingers brush against her swim suit bottoms.

"On the beach?" He asked, sliding his hand up and around to grab her butt. Levy let out a small erotic moan in response.

"I brought a towel out with us." She offered, feeling herself being hoisted around Gajeel's waist. "We can use it."

"Prepared as always." Gajeel replied, carrying her towards the beach. He could smell a change in her scent, her arousal growing obvious.

Levy quickly unfolded the towel, spreading it out a few meters from the edge of the beach. The iron dragon slayer growled under his breath as he watched her hips shift from the movement. She was damn sexy, nearly too much for him. "Lay down Shrimp." He ordered, unable to take his eyes off of her.

The blue haired wizard slowly laid down on the towel. It was blue and black stripped, with heart cut outs in the opposite colors at the end of each row. Rather appropriate, she decided as she smoothed it's edges.

"Do you have any clue how amazing you look?" Gajeel asked huskily, lowering his own body onto the towel beside her.

"Why don't you tell me?" She teased, running her fingers down his tanned chest, seemingly the only un-pierced surface of his body.

"You're so breath taking I can barely control myself." He admitted, leaning over her body. His lips pressed against hers in a deep kiss, much like the ones they'd shared in the water. She moaned softly into his mouth and pulled him closer. He broke the kiss to look at her face. "I don't think I've ever seen a woman as beautiful as you Shorty."

"Flatterer." She replied, her cheeks flushed from the heavy kissing.

"Is this okay?" The iron dragon slayer asked, running his hand up the inside of her thigh until he reached the swim suit.

"Yes." Levy breathed in response. The look on his face stirred something deep inside her. She had never seen the dragon slayer look quite so intense, even in battle.

"If you want me to stop, say something." He warned her, curling two fingers around the edge of the bikini bottom. Tantalizingly slow, he pulled them down, leaving no layers of cloth between the pair. He tossed them to the side and reached up to pull off her top.

"Beautiful." He hummed, gently grabbing her breast in his hand. Gajeel leaned down and planted a soft kiss on the top of her breast, making her back arch at the pleasure.

"Ga-Gajeel." She stuttered, amazed at how amazing it felt.

"Relax Shrimp, you're gonna like this." He assured her, trailing his other hand down her warm body. A loud gasp escaped her lips as she felt his fingers find her clit.

"Mmm." He moaned into her breast, sending soft vibrations through her. "I knew you'd like that."

"Let me touch you too." She said, a weak demand. Her heart hammered in her chest as the dragon slayer pulled away from her chest. His calloused hand ran over her front, pausing at the scar on her abdomen. With a small frown he planted a soft kiss over it.

"You'll get your chance." He replied, amusement leaking into his voice as he rubbed her in small circles. As their eyes med, Levy saw something in him she hadn't noticed before, a certain softness to his eyes. Gajeel stopped his motions and slowly slipped a finger inside of her.

"Oh." She whispered, grasping at the towel with her uninjured hand.

"Does that feel good?" He asked, already knowing the answer. She squirmed under him as he added another finger, working them in and out slowly.

"Yes." She confessed, the word leaving her mouth like a reverent prayer.

Gajeel lowered his face to her core, inhaling deeply. The pure dirtiness of the act only served to turn her on more. "You smell so good, so sweet." He breathed heavily, lowering his mouth closer as he worked his fingers in and out of her. The dragon slayer slowly licked her clit, eliciting a loud moan from her.

"Gajeel." She moaned, her hand tangling in his dark wet hair. As much as she had fantasized about him, she never actually imagined it would be quite so good.

He gently sucked on her, curling up his fingers to hit her sensitive spot.

"Shit." She groaned, unable to control herself.

"I made you swear." Gajeel said proudly, pulling away to stare at her flushed body.

"I want you." She whispered, catching his burning eyes.

"Then ask for it, tell me exactly what you want me to do." He demanded.

"Take me." She whimpered as she felt his fingers leave her.

"How?" He teased, pressing his body against her. "Take you how?"

She blushed furiously as she felt his hardness pressing against her. "Make love to me?"

"That one works." He decided, pulling down his wet shorts. Her eyes fell on his manhood as it sprang free of it's confinement. She swallowed nervously.

"You really are pierced everywhere." Levy said, eyeing the studs that lined the curves between his hips and his groin. She had seen something like it before, but a bit higher on a teenage girl. Gajeel's piercings could only be seen by someone on a much more intimate level.

"Not quite everywhere." He pointed out, wrapping her hand around his dripping length. It was even larger than she'd imagined. "This is just me."

She tentatively ran her hand up and down him, watching his face for signs of pleasure. He let out a small growl and pushed her back down onto the towel.

"I'm going to make love to you now, Levy." He said sweetly, caressing her cheek with his rough fingers. "Don't worry, I'm going to go slow since it's your first time."

"How do you know it's my first time?" She asked nervously.

"I know you." He replied softly. "Now look at me. I want to watch your eyes as I make love to you for the first time."

"Okay." She whispered, offering him a smile as their eyes met. He positioned himself at her entrance, gently holding her hips as her legs wrapped around his back.

"You're mine, Levy." He said sensually, slowly pushing into her. She felt a small twinge of pain as he broke past her barrier, not nearly as bad as she expected. The dragon slayer pushed forward until he was completely burred inside of her and stopped.

"You okay Shrimp?" He asked, obviously trying to control himself as he wiped away a small tear running out of the corner of her eye.

"It's good." she admitted, ignoring the pain. "Really good."

"Then here we go." He warned, pulling out and pushing into her again. The blue haired mage groaned under him as he filled her completely. A deep desire burned within her, as he thrust into her again. She'd always imagined he would be good, but not this good.

"Don't hold back." She demanded, bucking her hips up to meet his every thrust.

"If I didn't hold back, I'd hurt you." He informed her, picking up his pace. "But I'll give you what you really want."

"Gajeel!" She cried out as she felt herself nearing the edge. Hearing his voice while feeling him move inside her would be the end of her.

"Levy." He grunted, thrusting into the petite wizard harder.

She grabbed the wrist holding her waist and dug her fingernails in, coming undone around him. Her body pulsed and quivered in pleasure as she moaned loudly, unable to come up with a coherent thought. Watching her pushed the dragon slayer over the edge. He hit his climax, shooting his seed deep inside of her.

The blue haired mage smiled up at him happily, still on a sex induced high. "That was amazing."

"You're amazing." He said, kissing her forehead gently. The pierced wizard collapsed beside her on the towel, his arm draped over her sweaty body.

"I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow." She joked, running her hand up his arm.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you." He said, frowning. "You can't talk to me like that when we make love, I'll lose control."

"I was just teasing." Levy confessed, turning her head to catch his eye. "Besides, I kind of like it like that."

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear that." He chuckled, kissing her lips softly. "You know you're not the first person I've had sex with, but I want you to know I wouldn't do that with just anyone. I've never done what we just did with anyone else before, not making love. It's always been pretty meaningless."

"Nothing could be meaningless with you." She sighed in response. "You mean the world to me Gajeel."

"And you mean the world to me. Someday, maybe not soon, but someday Shrimp, I want to make you my mate." He confessed. Levy was the first person he as much as considered the idea with. There was no one else who would ever be able to tie him down.

"Your mate?" Levy asked, watching him curiously.

"It's a lot like marriage, but something deeper. Dragons only mate for life, as do dragon slayers." He explained slowly, scanning her face for a reaction.

I kind of like that idea." Levy admitted, a small hint of blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Good," He decided, his lips hovering only inches away from hers. "Because you're mine, Shrimp." He kissed her deeply.


	6. Signal Fires

**A/N: I don't own Fairy Tail!  
Sorry about the delay on updating and the short chapter.**

 **I'm having a bit of writers block on this one. :(**

 **Please enjoy regardless.**

Gajeel kissed along the edge of Levy's arm as they cuddled by the fire. She had made him take the staples out, flinching as each one was removed. As gentle as he had been the area seemed to ache and he could tell. He pulled his lips away and gently wrapped it in the bandages they'd found in the cellar. "Is this okay Shorty?"

"It's fine." She smiled, placing a small kiss on his lips. She looked out onto the horizon, a small smile playing across her face as she rested her head on his shoulder. "We should think about building a fire soon."

"Yeah?" Gajeel asked, cocking his studded eyebrow at her.

"You remember how cold it got the past few nights. I know we're going to sleep in the bunker, but I think it would be nice to stay out here for a while, under the stars." The blue haired beauty mused, pulling back to look into his dark eyes.

"How could I say no when you look at me like that?" He chuckled lightly, kissing her on the head before standing up.

"If you just get some wood, I'll start the fire." She offered, watching him walk towards the edge of the trees. The solid script mage bit her lower lip as she looked his body over. He was still mostly undressed from their earlier encounter, his sculpted body covered only by a pair of thin black shorts. She pulled herself to her feet, feeling an ache between her hips with each movement of her body. Maybe she hadn't been joking about being sore in the morning.

"Sounds easy enough." He decided, forming an iron ax out of the end of his arm. He swung at the midpoint of a tree, felling it with ease. The dragon slayer flashed Levy a cocky grin, making quick work of the tree.

"You could have just gotten an ax out of the bunker. I know you saw one by the trunk." She teased, digging a large round pit in the sand for their fire.

"I'll never pass a chance to show off for you shrimp." Gajeel said proudly, standing over a rather large pile of firewood. "It may be a little wet, but at least if it smokes we might get discovered quicker."

"That's a good idea." She pulled back, brushing the sand off of her hands. "We should probably keep one going all the time, just in case someone can see it off in the distance."

"I have one once in a while." He chuckled, throwing a load of the firewood into the pit. Leaning down, the black haired mage quickly arranged it into a pyramid, the perfect shape for starting a fire.

"Solid script fire!" Levy cast, aiming the flaming word at the pile of wood Gajeel had formed. With a look of satisfaction, she sat back down on the beach towel.

"You're really something, you know that?" He asked, sitting down beside her.

* * *

The sun set over the ocean as Erza walked along the edge of the sandy beach. It had been three days since she'd seen any of her comrades. After the final blast she had been knocked unconscious, only to wake up completely alone, the sun beating down on her skin. Her throbbing head was matted with blood, her own blood. Judging by the position of the sun, she'd been able to figure out she'd been out for at least twelve hours. The Titania had witnessed signs of what she assumed could only be the fire dragon slayer's destruction, but she couldn't be sure. Other than that, she'd been completely alone, without even her luggage trunks to keep her company. They'd arrived on the island with her with no problems, but now everything was gone.

Her stomach grumbled loudly, nearly startling her. She wrapped her arm around her stomach, trying not to think about how hungry she was. As talented at the crimson haired mage was, she wasn't much of a forager. She'd attempted fishing, but she hadn't been able to stop shaking long enough to spear any. Her head ached the sound of her own heart pounding deepening the pain. Erza placed her hand over the wound she'd received from the blast. Between the concussion and her dehydration, she wondered how much longer she was actually going to last.

Off in the distance she saw what appeared to be a fire along the shoreline. It had to be one of her team mates, and they seemed to be fairing better than she. Probably Natsu, she decided. Who else would be able to build a fire so big? The Titania forced her legs to carrier her faster, nearing an outright sprint as she approached. Surely she was saved.

* * *

Levy stretched out on the beach towel, relaxing with her head in the iron dragon slayer's lap. She released a content sigh as he ran his fingers through her dampened hair. The fire before them roared and crackled in the night, bathing the pair in its warmth. As hot as the island was during the day, the temperature dropped considerably as soon as the sun went down.

"This is kind of perfect." She mumbled happily, running her hand over his knee.

"We're stranded on an island." He smirked, pulling his hand free from her hair. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he rubbed her shoulder. "How much more perfect could it get?"

"That's not what I meant." Levy shifted to look up into his eyes, a teasing frown growing on her face. "I meant this moment specifically. You, me, the ocean, and a fire, it's nice."

"You're right." Gajeel replied, looking down at the light from the fire dancing on her face. She was more beautiful than ever, perfectly relaxed with him.

"Do you see that?" Levy asked, her eyes focusing on something moving in the distance.

"See what?"

"Over there." She sat up, pointing at the moving figure. It seemed to be getting closer and closer.

"Shit, that's Erza." Gajeel swore, quickly standing up. "She looks like she's been hurt."

"You can really see that far away?" Levy asked, cocking an eyebrow at the man who was now towering over her. She grabbed his hand and pulled herself up, hoping to get a better view.

"Dragon slayer perks Shrimp." He mumbled, walking towards the Titania.

"Is that really Erza?" Levy wondered, hoping they weren't just being too hopeful.

"Yeah." Gajeel said, picking up his pace. "I can smell her now." He lifted his hands to his mouth and made a cup with them. "Erza!"

"Gajeel!" He heard her voice call back.

"She doesn't look so good." The dragon slayer mumbled, swearing under his breath. The red haired wizard seemed to be staggering as she drew near. The dragon slayer lunged forward, reaching her as she collapsed into the sand.

He quickly pulled her up into his arms, her heavy armor catching on the studs in his arms. He shook it off and slowly carried the Titania back to Levy, noticing she felt rather light for someone wearing armor.

"Is she okay?" Levy asked, her eyes immediately finding the gash on her head. It looked rather ragged and nasty, something she obviously hadn't taken care of.

"I think she's dehydrated. Can you get some water for her?" The dragon slayer's gruff voice demanded.

The solid script mage instantly conjured some water, catching it in the bowl they had been eating out of. She watched as Gajeel laid her down on their beach towel. He quickly grabbed the water out of her hands, lifting the bowl to Erza's mouth. The coolness of the water seemed to bring her to. She clumsily grabbed the water and downed it, drinking so fast she nearly choked.

"What the hell happened to you?" Gajeel asked, gently shaking her shoulders.

"Gajeel- be gentle with her."

"That was gently." He snapped, worry playing across his face.

"I got separated." Erza replied slowly, her eye lids fluttering open.

"You look awful. Are you okay?" Levy asked, carefully pulling away the hair matted to her face with blood.

"I just need some rest." She decided. "I forced myself to stay away for a couple days because of my head." Her hand ran over the gash, causing her to wince. "I got knocked unconscious after a blast. I think now, I just need to sleep."

"Let me get this cleaned up a little first." Levy suggested, gently dabbing at the wound with a cloth they'd found in the bunker. "We don't want it to get infected."

"We've got a good place for you to rest." The dragon slayer said, nodding away from the beach. "Hell, we even have a couple of beds."

"Beds?" Erza asked, half sure she'd heard him wrong.

"We found some sort of cellar full of supplies. There is also a couple of bunk beds down there." She pulled the rag away, satisfied, and turned to Gajeel. "Do you think you can help her down there, Gajeel?"

"Of course, Shrimp." He said, scooping the Titania back up in his arms.

"This isn't necessary. I can walk." Erza assured them, but she didn't struggle.

"Let's not take any chances, okay?" He replied, a hint of annoyance leaking into his voice as he carried her to the cellar door.

Levy smiled to herself, careful not to let the dragon slayer see her face. Despite his rough exterior, Gajeel had a soft spot for all of his team mates.


End file.
